For his upcoming Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry “Amir,” Dennis Trillo spent a couple of days in Marawi City shooting scenes at ground zero and other locations. Seeing the ruins still standing after the 2017 siege, he couldn’t help but feel sad.
“Nakakalungkot kasi ‘yong progress after ng trahedya na ‘yon, mabagal, eh. Pagpunta namin sa ground zero, makikita mong ando’n pa rin ‘yong ruins, tapos ‘yong mga talahib kadalasan mas mataas pa sa ruins. Kumbaga napabayaan,” he says in an interview during his recent contract renewal with GMA Network.
“Nakakalungkot kasi ‘yong progress after ng trahedya na ‘yon, mabagal, eh. Pagpunta namin sa ground zero, makikita mong ando’n pa rin ‘yong ruins”
Military escorts accompanied the production team around the city. While they were assured of their safety, Trillo admitted that seeing armed personnel could be intimidating. Some crew members even went to certain areas and took photos, but he decided not to go any further.
“Sabi ko, ‘di na ako pupunta diyan…ramdam mo pa rin ‘yong bigat,” he says.
Inspired by real events
“Amir” follows its young titular character (played by child actor Argus Aspiras) and his father, Ali (Trillo), as “darkness engulfs their village,” thrusting them into “a desperate fight for survival that will test their love, challenge their faith, and reveal the extraordinary strength found in family.”
The project reunites him with director Zig Dulay and screenwriters Anj Atienza and National Artist Ricky Lee—the same team behind the acclaimed film “Green Bones,” which earned Trillo Best Actor wins at the 2024 MMFF and 2025 Gawad Urian.
“Nangyari ang kwento during the siege of Marawi. Based siya sa mga true events, documentaries na nagawa tungkol doon, at mga experiences ng mga tao na nagtago at namuhay sa mga tunnels ng ilang buwan dahil sa nangyayaring bombahan sa itaas,” Trillo tells Lifestyle Inquirer.
But while “Amir” is set against a heavy backdrop, Trillo says it’s actually a heartwarming drama-fantasy film intended for young audiences. “May kurot pa rin siya… pero mas pambata siya.”
The film is Trillo’s second project to feature Muslim culture, following the 2021 series “Legal Wives.” His familiarity with the community proved useful. “Nagkataon na ‘yong kwento na prinisenta is about Muslim people din. At least medyo sanay na at may alam na sa kultura nila, sa pananalita, mga kilos at nuances nila,” he says.
A risk worth taking
While he could no longer divulge more details, “Amir,” from the looks of it, doesn’t seem like the typical MMFF fare. But because its fantasy elements heavily rely on visual effects, the film has a considerably bigger budget.
And as co-producer through Brightburn Entertainment, the production company he runs with his wife, Jennylyn Mercado, Trillo is also feeling greater pressure to make the investment pay off. “Mas nakaka-pressure. Mas maraming investors, andun ‘yong pressure na kumita,” he admits. “Pero masaya kami na iilan lang ang entries this year at mas mababa na ang ticket prices.”
The MMFF has eight entries this year—the same as last year and down from 10 in 2024. Ticket prices will also be capped at P299.
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Still, he believes telling a story like “Amir” is a risk worth taking. “Importante rin that you take risks paminsan-minsan. Because if you just stay in your comfort zone, you will be stuck on a plateau, so hindi ka na nag-i-improve at nag-go-grow,” he says.
However, the fact that he’s now in a position to take that risk is not lost on him. Being able to choose the projects he wants to pursue is a luxury he didn’t always have—and certainly not when he was a newcomer, when he once happened to peek at a former coworker’s talent fee of P15,000 per taping day and wondered if he could one day earn the same.
“Noon, kung ano lang ang dumating sa ‘yo, gawin mo. Kasi kapag tinanggihan mo, mapupunta [‘yong role] sa iba. Sayang ang pagkakataon,” he points out. “Ngayon, mas nakakapili na at importante ‘yon dahil mas nalalaman mo kung saang genre ka nag-e-excel at kung anong klaseng characters ‘yong swak sa ‘yo.”
The gamble pays off
In a way, Trillo’s freedom to take risks now is a result of a risk he took early in his career. Raring for better opportunities, he transferred from ABS-CBN to GMA 7, where he believed he and his talent would be better recognized and have more room to grow. “I felt like I had a future here,” he says.
His gamble paid off. The network entrusted him with bigger shows, including “Mulawin,” which he considers his first major break, followed by other high-profile projects like “Majika” and “My Husband’s Lover”—the latter groundbreaking in its time—as well as more recent historical dramas such as “Maria Clara at Ibarra” and “Pulang Araw.”
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It wasn’t always smooth-sailing, however. While he gradually “found his rhythm,” there were also “roller-coaster moments” as he struggled to balance his career and personal life. Along the way came what he calls “resurgences,” including in the past couple of years.
And now, as he continues to take on projects he wants and expand into production, all Trillo could hope for, “cheesy as it may sound,” is to be a role model to those who look up to him. “‘Yong nirerespeto ka dahil nirerespeto mo rin ang kapwa mo at di ka nagbibigay ng problema sa iba,” he says.
